Volume 19, Number 1—January 2013
Dispatch
Seropositivity for Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Virus among Frontline Health Care Personnel
Kumar Alagappan, Robert A. Silverman
, Kathy Hancock, Mary Frances Ward, Meredith Akerman, Fatimah S. Dawood, Alicia Branch, Sandra De Cicco, Evelene Steward-Clark, Megan McCullough, Karen Tenner, and Jacqueline M. Katz
, Kathy Hancock, Mary Frances Ward, Meredith Akerman, Fatimah S. Dawood, Alicia Branch, Sandra De Cicco, Evelene Steward-Clark, Megan McCullough, Karen Tenner, and Jacqueline M. KatzTable 1
Baseline characteristics of 340 health care personnel tested for seropositivity to influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus*
| Characteristic | No. (%) health care personnel, n = 193 | No. (%) non–health care personnel | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | |||
|
M |
70 (36.3) | 68 (46.3) | 0.07 |
|
F |
123 (63.7) | 79 (53.7) | NA |
| Age, y | |||
|
<30 |
35 (18.1) | 21 (14.3) | 0.01 |
|
30–40 |
58 (30.1) | 27 (18.4) | NA |
|
41–50 |
48 (24.9) | 33 (22.5) | NA |
|
51–60 |
43 (22.3) | 49 (33.3) | NA |
|
>60 |
9 (4.7) | 17 (11.6) | NA |
| Age, y (dichotomized) | |||
|
<60 |
184 (95.3) | 130 (88.4) | 0.02 |
|
>60 |
9 (4.7) | 17 (11.6) | NA |
| Children <18 y of age in home | 85 (44.0) | 55 (37.4) | 0.22 |
| Received seasonal influenza vaccine during 2008 or 2009 | 190 (98.5) | 123 (83.7) | <0.01 |
| Contact with household member with confirmed or suspected A(H1N1)pdm09 | 39 (20.2) | 23 (15.7) | 0.26 |
| Clinical contact with confirmed or suspected A(H1N1)pdm09 | 146 (75.7) | NA | NA |
| Health care worker role | |||
|
Attending physician |
47 (24.4) | NA | NA |
|
Resident physician |
30 (15.5) | NA | NA |
|
Registered nurse |
58 (30.1) | NA | NA |
|
Other† |
58 (30.1) | NA | NA |
| Cared for primarily adults | 126 (65.3) | NA | NA |
| Cared for primarily children | 67 (34.7) | NA | NA |
| Influenza-like symptoms‡ during spring–summer 2009 | 81 (42.0) | 53 (36.1) | 0.27 |
| ILI§ during spring–summer 2009 | 27 (14.0) | 7 (4.8) | 0.01 |
| ARI¶ during spring–summer 2009 | 48 (24.9) | 30 (20.4) | 0.33 |
*NA, not applicable; ILI, influenza-like illness; ARI, acute respiratory illness.
†Patient care technicians, registrars, and other emergency department staff.
‡Any of the following: fever, cough, body aches, chills, headache, fatigue, runny nose, sore throat, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
§Fever AND either cough or sore throat.
¶Two or more of the following: fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat.
